Month: May 2018

I read the news today that Linda Lawry, DWS, CWE,CSS of International Wine Center fame has retired. Linda was a marvelous professor when I was studying for my Diploma in Wines & Spiritus. Funny and incredibly knowledgeable, she brooked no silly comments. I learned so much from Linda about French wines through the center and... Continue Reading →

This week I have had the good fortune to spend some time with Giovanni Ponchia, the young and talented winemaker from the Soave Consortium. I also was lucky enough to try a new Soave that I didn’t know from Cantina di Monteforte. It was light, refreshing and very easy to drink as an apertif and I found myself wondering why I have been drinking so little Soave over the years. I also really enjoyed the fact that it was only 12% alcohol, making it an easy wine to sip without having to eat a big meal in order to contrast the wine.

The Soave Consortium is made up of large and small wineries as well as bottlers and growers. Together they have 7000 hectares under vine. Garganega, the grape variety in Soave is very vigorous and needs to be reigned in to preserve white flower, citrus notes that…

This week I have had the good fortune to spend some time with Giovanni Ponchia, the young and talented winemaker from the Soave Consortium. I also was lucky enough to try a new Soave that I didn't know from Cantina di Monteforte. It was light, refreshing and very easy to drink as an apertif and... Continue Reading →

Garganega, a grape variety that hails from the Veneto region is the star of today's post. Garganega is the principal grape used to make Soave, an Italian white wine that we are all familiar with in the United States. According to DNA studies, it is related to Grecanico which is a grape variety widely used... Continue Reading →

While today’s weather doesn’t fit my idea of a picnic, American wines seems like a perfect option on this chilly day in May. It’s also in keeping with Memorial day. There are so many wines coming from all 50 states today that the choice is vast and plentiful. California, Washington, Oregon and New York are... Continue Reading →

As the summer gets underway, I'm exploring, thanks to friends, alternative packing and the wines that come in these containers. A friend brought a box of white wine from Utiel Requena DO to my house on Friday called Fuentesca from Bodegas SierraNorte. It's a blend of 80% Macabeo and 20% Sauvignon blanc. I liked it... Continue Reading →

Basilicata is a lovely region in Southern Italy with some great wines made from Aglianico in primis and other wine grapes as well. I've had many wines from this region although never as many as this part April during Basilicata Stories 2018, a new initiative that is related to Campania Stories and is run by... Continue Reading →

Every year May 23 is a day that I mark in some way. It is the anniversary of the murder of a famous judge in Italy named Giovanni Falcone. His picture is on my refrigerator along with those of my family and Bruce Springsteen. Falcone was a hero in my world, a crusader for... Continue Reading →

All over the world, people are taking classes online, including in the wine industry. Wine classes have blossomed with many stores and restaurants offering wine classes. Many professional wine schools are also available throughout the United States and abroad. I have taken many wine classes during my years in the industry and am a firm... Continue Reading →